Irish Vegetable Soup
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Irish vegetable soup is a hearty, comforting meal that is easy to make. It’s made with a mix of onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, celery, thyme, sage, and frozen peas that are simmered in chicken or vegetable stock until they are cooked through and pureed with cream to meld the flavors together.
This traditional Irish soup recipe is topped with sourdough croutons and sure to please everyone in the family!
Check out this Irish Pub Food page for even more delicious Irish recipes.
Whether you are looking for a quick dinner or something to warm you up on a cold winter night, this rustic, homemade Irish farmhouse vegetable soup has it all.
If you love warm, comforting soups as much as we do, check out these other traditional Irish soups too! Creamy Parsnip and Apple Soup, Irish Potato Leek Soup, and Creamy Seafood Chowder.
Ingredients needed
- Yellow onion and celery are steamed with butter to soften and bring out their flavors.
- Diced potatoes, carrots, and minced garlic add flavor to the base of this soup, and the potatoes add thickness.
- Chicken stock or vegetable stock are perfect for simmering the vegetables.
- Fresh thyme and dried sage add even more depth of flavor and both are readily available at the grocery store.
- Frozen peas are added at the end of cooking for a pop of color and a touch of spring.
- Heavy cream adds just enough rich, creamy texture. It is optional if you prefer not to use it.
- Sourdough bread cubes fried in a bit of olive oil create a nice, crispy topping for the finished soup!
Be sure to check out the detailed printable recipe card below
How to make traditional Irish Vegetable Soup
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery, then cover with lid. Sweat the vegetables for for 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in the minced garlic, diced potatoes and carrots, fresh thyme, ground sage, and chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer loosely covered for 20 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender.
Stir in the peas and cook for 5 additional minutes.
Use an immersion blender to puree most of the soup, leaving some visible chunks of vegetables. Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the sourdough croutons
Trim the crust of the bread slices and cut into half-inch cubes.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes, toss well, and cook for 5 to 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Season with sea salt.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with croutons and fresh thyme leaves.
Recipe Tips & Modifications
- If you do not have an immersion blender: Transfer batches of soup to a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Vent the blender lid and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent soup from exploding!
- For vegan Irish Vegetable Soup: sauté the vegetables in olive oil, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock, and canned coconut milk (shake before opening) for the cream, or skip the cream all together.
- For Whole30 vegetable soup: substitute olive oil or ghee for the butter and coconut milk for the cream.
- For chunkier soup: remove one-third of the vegetables before blending and set aside. Puree the soup, stir in the cream, then return the vegetables to the soup.
Recipe FAQs
Allow soup to cool completely then place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
Yes! Allow soup to cool completely then transfer to a zipper-top freezer bag (squeeze out as much air as possible) or airtight container. Lay flat and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Do not overfill your container, the soup will expand as it freezes. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
Place in an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
Tools used to create this recipe
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Serving Suggestions
If you prefer not to make croutons, Irish Soda Bread, Irish Brown Soda Bread, and Garlic Dinner Rolls are delicious options.
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Enjoy!!
Irish Farmhouse Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- Large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
Irish Vegetable Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 4 large russet potatoes peeled and diced – substitute Yukon gold
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 0.5 teaspoon dried sage
- 32 ounces chicken stock 8 cups – substitute vegetable broth
- 1 cup frozen peas
- .25 cup heavy cream optional – substitute full-fat coconut milk
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Croutons
- 2 – 3 thick slices sourdough bread trimmed and cut into half-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
To make the soup
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery, then cover with lid. Sweat the vegetables for for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the minced garlic, diced potatoes and carrots, fresh thyme, ground sage, and chicken stock. Reduce heat and simmer loosely covered for 20 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender. Stir in the peas and cook for 5 additional minutes.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree most of the soup, leaving some visible chunks of vegetables. Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the croutons
- Trim the crust of the bread slices and cut into half-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes, toss well, and cook for 5 to 5 minutes until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Season with sea salt.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with croutons and fresh thyme leaves.
Notes
- If you do not have an immersion blender: Transfer batches of soup to a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Vent the blender lid and cover with a kitchen towel to prevent soup from exploding!
- For vegan Irish Vegetable Soup: sauté the vegetables in olive oil, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock, and canned coconut milk (shake before opening) for the cream, or skip the cream all together.
- For Whole30 vegetable soup: substitute olive oil or ghee for the butter and coconut milk for the cream.
- For chunkier soup: remove one-third of the vegetables before blending and set aside. Puree the soup, stir in the cream, then return the vegetables to the soup.
- To store leftovers: Allow soup to cool completely then place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
- To freeze:Allow soup to cool completely then transfer to a zipper-top freezer bag (squeeze out as much air as possible) or airtight container. Lay flat and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Do not overfill your container, the soup will expand as it freezes. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
- Place leftover croutons in an airtight container and store on the counter for up to 3 days.
